Universal flexible shaft



July 12 ,1927; 635,929

E. C. DEAN UNIVERSAL FLEXIBLE SHAFT Original Filed April 1925 Ill;

Patented July 12, 1927.

TUNIYTED STATES PA ENT erri ELMER 0. mean, or rnanxronr, INDIANA.

UNIlVERSAL FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

Application filed April 8, 1925, SerialNo. 21,622. Renewed June 3, 1927.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in flexible shafts.

The main object of my invention is the provision of a flexible shaft w of pivotally co relative to each hich is nnected other formed of a plurality sections so disposed as to limit the pivotal movement of said sections in one direction and prevent lateral tions in a dire pivotal connection.

movement of the secction at right angles to the Another object of my invention is the provision of a flexible shaft formed of a plurality of pivota in all of the ture of a: device by to reduce t sections.

lly connected sections wheresections are identical in constructlon so as to lessen the cost of manufacof this character and wherehe cost of replacing broken With the above and other objects in view my invention 0 of construction bination of parts to be hereinafter described, pointed out in the onsists in the novel features and arrangement and commorefully accompanying drawings and shown in the claims, in which Fig. 1 is a side shaft constructed in vention.

elevation of the flexible accordance with my 1I1- Fig. 2 is a similar view enlarged and parts broken away and illustrated in cross section.

3isa

at right Fig.

taken F 4.- is an elevation disconnected.

detailed longitudinal section angles to the view in Fig. 2. of two adjacent parts are the spaced e are tapered as ends 3 extend longitudinally are 2, the outer ends of which shown at 3. I

relative to the body and the sides of the tapering portions are cut in an shoulder betwe angle as shown at 4;. The en spaced ears 2 1s formed with the recesses 5 to receive the reduced ends 6 on the 0 adjacent section as 4 The tongues uter shown at Fig. 2. 7 are formed upon the opposite end of the body 1 from the tongues 2 and have as shown at 8 sides of the to the tapered ear tapered ends 3 j a'cent section to their longitudinal edges tapered and arranged upon opposite ngue 7 at its inner end are s 9 which cooperate with the of the tongues 2 upon an ad permit pivotal movement of the two sections upon the pivot pin 10. The

pivot pin 10 ext ends transversely through the structlon, the cost of a sh The tapering end of a tongue 7 on the tongues 52 and the section.

It will be noted in Fig. 2 that the reduced end portions 6 move in recesses 5 and limit the pivotal movement of the sections in one direction. At this point I wish to call attention to the fact that the tongues 7 upon one end of the body 1 are disposed at right angles to the tongues '2 upon the other end of the body, thus when various adjacent sec tions are connected as shown at Figure 1, the adjacent sections may be movable at right angles relative to each other so as to provide theuniversal movement of the shaft.

Attentionis directed to the factthat by having the tapering portions 8 on the tongues 7 and the tapering portions 4 on the outer ends of the tongues 2 these tapering portions will be disposed flush with the outer periphery of the body 1 when moved the limit of its pivotal movement as shown in Figure 2 so as to not apply any unnecessary strain on the housing 11 which encloses the shaft.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the shaft constructed. in accordance with the above will have incorporated therein means whereby the shaft may be moved at va ions angles due to the fact that the pivotal movement of thesect-ions are such that each end of any individual section will have its pivotal movement at right angles to the opposite section, thus providing for substantially individual movement thruout the length of the shaft. The device is extremely simple in construction and due to the fact that all of the sections are identical in con aft ofthe present nature is considerably reduced.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred. form of obvious that various changes in the details of construction and the proportions may be resorted to for successfully carrying my invention into practice without sacrificing any of the novel features or departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A flexible shaft including a plurality of pivotally connected sections, each section including a body having spaced ears at one end and a recess between the ears, a cen' trally disposed tongue at the other end of the body having reduced outer ends and a tapered ear upon each side of said tongue.

my invention it will be a 7 for pivotally connecting :2. A flexible shaft including a plurality of adapted to be disposed in the recess of the pivotaily connected sections, each section inadjacent section and tapered ears disposed 10 eluding a body, spaced ears at one end of the upon opposite sides of the tongue and cobody having opposite outer ends, a recess in operating with the tapered ends of the ears the body between said ears, a centrally dison an adjacent section.

posed tongue at the other end of the body In testimony whereof I a'fiix my signature. arranged at right angles to the plane of the ears said tongue having reduced outer end ELMER C. DEAN. F 

